This invention relates to strap segments adapted for forming a loop about material to be tied and for forming a sealless strap connection between overlapping strap ends of a segment. The strap is made of relatively stiff sheet material, i.e., metal strap, and the like.
It is known to provide sealless connections between strap ends in the form of an array of longitudinally spaced joints. A common form of such a joint utilizes a central tongue provided with lateral wing extension partly along the opposite edges of the tongue. Representative prior art patents of this form of joint in this particular field of art are U.S. Pat. No. 180,910 to Olmsted, U.S. Pat. No. 1,606,331 to Anderson, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,268,339 and 2,276,988 to Leslie, U.S. Pat. No. 3,137,047 to Mosey, U.S. Pat. No. 3,177,538 to Timmerbeil, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,188,706 to Partridge.
A form of a sealless strap connection wherein a relatively higher strength at the connection is realized and lateral pull-out action is avoided, or minimized, is taught in the U.S. Pat. No. 3,303,541 to Beach.
Another form of a sealless strap connection utilizes opposed shoulders displaced from the respective planes of the overlapped lengths of strap which are shaped to interlock with each other and an integral abutment means comprising juxtaposed protuberances shaped to irreversibly override each other while the opposed shoulders are moved into an interlocking position and presenting opposed stops when the shoulders interlock with each other. Such a joint is shown in the patent to Larry J. Simmons, U.S. Pat. No. 3,935,616.
In use, a strap segment is looped around a material or a package to be tied and the sealless connection is made. Depending on the type of sealless connection, the strap can be removed from the package or material by disengaging the connected overlapped ends or by severing the strap at some point. In those cases where the sealless strap segment must be severed, the segment cannot be reused without new joint elements being formed on its ends. In those cases where the strap segment ends can be disengaged from each other without damaging the joint elements, the strap segment can be reused, but only for a package, or a material of the same size as the first package or material.
Extensive use of metal strap segments is made in various industries where compressible material must be strapped or banded into bales, i.e., a bale of cotton, or the like. In such industries, it is sometimes the case that the material is baled, in one location, to a certain low density and then shipped to another location for further compression and forming into bales of higher density and smaller physical size. In those situations, the original strap segments are too large to be reused on the denser but smaller bale. New, smaller straps have to be used to tie the smaller bales.